Wired-slat construction.



PATENTED JULY 3, 1906.

UNITED STAT ES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES M. ALGER, or HANNIBAL, MISSOURI.

WIRED-SLAT CONSTRUCTION- To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES M. ALGER, a c tizen of the United States, residing at Hannibal, in the county of Marion and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful TWired-Slat Construction, of which the following 18 a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in wired-slat construction, and has for its principal object to provide a novel form of timber which may be folded or rolled into small space for transportation and be readily arranged to form the walls of receptacles and other structures.

A further object of the invention is to provide foldable timbers in which a number of wooden slats are held together by wire in such manner that the joints shall be extremely tight and practically waterproof.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter described, illustr'ated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size, and minor details ofthe structure may be made Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the in vention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a wired-slat construction embodying the invention and illustrating same as applied in connection with the construction of barrels and similar receptacles. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of a portion of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the rigid securing devices for holding the slats in proper position and for the support of the head of the barrel. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view illustrating a number of slats and one method of wiring employed.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In the construction illustrated in Fig. 1, wherein the invention is shown as applied in the construction of receptacles, 1 indicates a barrel, which is composed of a series of slats or staves 2, of wood or other suitable material, arranged edge to edge and united by wires 3, which are interwoven with the slats in the manner set forth in Letters Patent Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 20,

Patented July 3, 1906.

1903. Serial No. 162,425.

No. 708,111, granted to me September 2, 1902. These connecting-Wires are, as illustrated in Fig. 4, arranged in pairs, one at each side of the slats, and each wire passes first along the face of one slat, then between the slats at the meeting edges, thence along the opposite faces of the next slat and back between the slats and along the inner face of necting the slats to form a practically-continuous flexible sheet which may be readily rolled or bent into cylindrical form to compose the body of the barrel, the meeting so bent being united by tie-wires or loops 4. The slats are preferably of uniform Width from end to end to insure the barrel folding compactly but they may be reduced in width toward their ends to impart to the barrel the usual outward curve or bulge at its center. In this connection it is to be understood that a uniform number of slats will be employed to permit of the barrel being collapsed transversely into flat form for storing or reshipment. I

5 5 are end hoops or bands which are applied one to each end of the barrel. These hoops each consist of a sheet-metal plate stamped to form an outer encircling band or body portion 6, provided with spaced tongues 7, which are folded inward and downward over the ends of each alternate stave, the terminal ends of the tongues being bent or wrapped, as at 8, around an inner tie-wire or band 9, which is thus sustained within the barrel near the end thereof in position to form a seat for the barrel-head 10, thus obviating the necessity of forming the usual head-receiving grooves upon the inner faces of the staves and materially decreasing the cost of the barrel. The head 10 when in position in the end of the barrel for use is secured in place by means of nails or the like 11, which are susceptible of ready removal to permit redesired to fold the barrel. In this connection it is to be noted that the end hoops are of sufficient rigidity to maintain the barrel in its expanded condition and that owing to the tongues 7 overlapping the ends of the staves the barrel-chimes will be fully protected when the device is in use.

In the construction shown in Figs. 2 and 4 it will be observed that the wires are embedded in the slats, each slat being provided the next slat, and so on, thus securely conedges of the terminal slats when the sheet is With grooves or indentations on all of its surfaces to receive the Wires, or in case of very soft woods the strain on the Wire will be sufficient to embed the Wire Without the necessity of previously-formed indentations.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed is 1. A knockdown receptacle having side Walls formed of a series of slats and Wires interwoven therewith to permit rolling or folding of the same, a flexible loop or band adapted to engage the end portions of the slats and provided With a plurality of spaced tongues overlapping the ends of the slats, said tongues having their end portions bent to form a support for a detachable head, and a retainingire extending through and connecting the bent ends of said tongues.

2. In a cask, the combination With a series of staves, of a metal hoop or band enclasping the same and provided With tongues overlapping the ends of the staves, and a tie-Wire or band situated Within the cask and engaged by the tongues.

3. In a cask, the combination with a series of staves, of a metal hoop or band enclasping the same and provided With tongues overlapping the ends of the staves, a tie-Wire or band situated Within the cask and engaged With the tongues, and means for securing the hoop in position.

4. In a cask, the combination With a series of staves, of a metal hoop or band enclasping the same and provided With tongues overlapping the ends of the staves, and a tie-Wire or band situated Within the cask and having the ends of the tongues folded around the same. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my oWn I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

. CHARLES M. ALGER. Witnesses:

J. Ross OoLHoUN, C. E. ROYLE. 

